The Clippers have responded well to their new head coach, Doc Rivers. They’re fourth in the competitive Western Conference despite one of the toughest schedules in the NBA, featuring 15 road games in their first 25. They’ll play 11 of the next 15 at Staples Center, where they’ve amassed an 8-2 record with victories over Houston and Oklahoma City. The Clippers did lose a home date to Indiana, indication they might not quite be among the elite contenders.

At the very least they’re a nightmare on any given night, an athletic and aggressive team that can rack up points in bunches under the guidance of All-World point guard Chris Paul. They’ve been seriously wounded by injuries to their wing corps, forcing the emergency pick-up of former Spur Stephen Jackson. But as long as Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are in uniform, the Clippers can beat — and embarrass — anyone on any given night.

Where the Clippers excel

As has been the norm in recent years, “Lob Angeles” excels in the open court. They score 15.8 fasbreak points per game, good for 9th, while ranking seventh with 18.3 points off turnovers. The Clippers also live at the foul line, where they trail only Houston with 29 attempts per game. (The Spurs allow less than 18, so this facet in particular bears watching.)

Where the Clippers struggle

The Clippers weren’t a very good 3-point shooting team even before J.J Redick’s recent injury. Without him they’ve virtually cratered, shooting just 29.2 percent from distance while scoring almost five points fewer per 100 possessions. They’re also strangely ineffective on the glass despite Griffin and Jordan, ranking 23rd in total rebound percentage.

Key matchup

With sidelined yet again Derrick Rose, the NBA’s top two points guards are likely Paul and Tony Parker. Paul is on target for another top five finish in the MVP voting, averaging 19.7 points while setting his sights on his third assists crown. Parker isn’t as flashy, but he’s been his typically dependable self with 18.0 points and 6.1 assists per game.

Factoid

The Spurs have won 34 of the past 39 meetings, including 8 of 11 since Paul’s arrival in 2011.